By rail
Odense station, ~1.5 h from Copenhagen
Europe · Denmark
Odense, Denmark
Hans Christian Andersen's town
Getting there
By air
Billund (BLL), ~1 h
Best time to visit
May to September — summer
Don't miss
The H.C. Andersen House
The old town
Odense Cathedral
The Funen Village
Things to do
The H.C. Andersen museum
The old town
Cycling
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Emelie Graven · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Layers
A quieter corner
Egeskov Castle, a moated castle nearby
Questions travellers ask
When should I visit Odense?
May to September, in the summer. Bring layers, and plan on some cycling.
Can I get to Odense by train?
Yes — Odense station is about 1.5 h from Copenhagen. If you fly, Billund (BLL) is about 1 h away.
What should I see in Odense?
It is Hans Christian Andersen's town, so start at the H.C. Andersen House, then see the old town, Odense Cathedral and the Funen Village.
Is there a good side trip from Odense?
Egeskov Castle, a moated castle nearby. Pack some Danish pastries for the road.
About Odense
- Inland
Where it is
Odense is Denmark's third-largest city, in the middle of the island of Funen, between Copenhagen and the Jutland peninsula, and linked to Odense Fjord by a canal.
History
One of Denmark's oldest towns, Odense takes its name from Odin's sanctuary and is first mentioned in 988. King Canute IV was killed in the town's St Alban's Priory in 1086 and later canonised, and his shrine in the cathedral drew pilgrims. In the 19th century the canal and the railway helped Odense grow into an industrial centre, and today it is home to the University of Southern Denmark.
People
Odense's people speak Danish with a Funen accent, and the university gives the city a large student population. The composer Carl Nielsen grew up in the Funen countryside south of the city, and Andersen's fairy tales are celebrated across Odense in museums and statues.
Known for
- The H. C. Andersen museum and birthplace
- St Canute's Cathedral
- The Funen Village open-air museum
- The old town's cobbled lanes
- Egeskov Castle nearby
Did you know?
Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense in 1805, the son of a shoemaker, and his fairy tales are now read in translation all over the world.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.